I'll Take My Chances
by DreamStar14
Summary: Jayden returns from completely mastering the Sealing Symbol, but what does he find? What is his team like? AU, Lantonio/Jemily
1. Chapter 1: Only Temporary

A/N: This is an AU, Alternate Universe, in case any of you didn't know, where Jayden is the oldest instead of Lauren, plus a bunch of other things that are different, such as whom the Pink Ranger is. I'm not telling you anything else. You have to keep reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. Never have. Never will.

Note: Beware of a little Latonio! Also, Memily is brother/sister type in this one. (Like always.)

~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~

I'll Take My Chances

Chapter One: Only Temporary

When Lauren Shiba first meets the team, she is worried that this will not work out, that things will fall apart, that her team will not like her, that the secret fact that she has an older brother will be too obvious.

But when she first meets them on the street, she sees them. She sees an African-American male wearing blue and a pair of swim trunks. She sees a Hispanic male wearing green, pants in his jean pockets. She sees an Asian male in dark pink and black, wearing a guitar on his back. Finally, she sees a young Caucasian female in yellow, a wooden flute in her jeans pocket.

They all show her their Folding Zords, as proof that they are the Samurai Rangers that she's been waiting for. The African male holds up the Blue Dragon. The Hispanic male holds up the Green Bear. The Asian male holds up the Pink Turtle. The Caucasian female holds up the Yellow Ape.

As she holds up the Red Lion, she thinks, _'This actually may turn out to be easy.'_

Kevin Hamasaki, the African male, turns out to be the Blue Ranger, the Red Ranger's right hand man, the second-in-command, ready to take command if the Red Ranger is unable to. Like the Dragon, Kevin is very loyal and takes his training seriously. He is also very strong and able to match Lauren in sword-fighting skills. The way he looks at Lauren is with gentleness, yet determination and willingness to help in any situation. He's the team's older brother, the one who looks after everyone else.

Michael Hayashi, Mike for short, is the Green Ranger. He's wild, like the forest itself, and he loves video games. He also has a 24 inch flat-screen TV that he had refused to part with. He also quite the rebel, pretty lazy, cracks jokes, some of them really bad, and not to mention his conflict with Kevin.

Terry Watanabe, the Pink Ranger, is silent. He plays the guitar every night he goes to bed and he carries a thick photo album of a girl whom he seems to admire. He may be quiet, but in battle, he is strong, quick on his feet, and doesn't take anyone's nonsense, especially him being a _pink_ kind of guy. When he did speak, he spoke with such emotion, whether it be happiness or anger or merely contentment. He looked up to Lauren as an older sister and was constantly the mediator between Kevin and Mike.

Finally, last but not least, The Yellow Ranger's name turned out to be Emily. She had curly blonde hair that she later straightened and bright hazel eyes. She was everyone's little sister, Terry's twin, and the true heart and spirit of the team. She was a klutz, but with a sword in her hand, she could do some serious damage. She never gave up and she ignored any insults directed towards her. Being the only other girl on the team, Lauren found herself constantly hanging out with Emily and the two quickly became best friends.

One day, at dinner, Jii had made a really wonderful pot roast. Emily sighed after taking her first bite of it, and said, "Serena would have loved this."

The entire team turned to her. Mike skeptically asked her, "Who's Serena?"

Emily was slightly startled and then realized what she had just said. She took a deep breath, wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans, and said, "Serena is my older sister. Being the Yellow Ranger was her birthright, before she got sick."

"A simple cold isn't enough to abandon your samurai duties," Jii pointed out.

Emily stared at the ground and quietly said, "She's been sick for nearly six years. I'm sorry I didn't tell any of you. I just didn't want you to see me as a replacement."

The others smiled at her and reassured her that not one of them did. At least they had a Yellow Ranger.

This is when Terry came in clean, which he didn't very often. "Truth be told, I'm not supposed to be here either. My older sister, Mia, was supposed to be the Pink Ranger, but she, uh…she died in a car wreck along with my grandpa seven years ago."

"Hey, it's okay, Terry," Emily said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "If you need any support, I'm always here. Is Mia the girl who is in your photo album?"

"Yeah, that's her," he said.

"Can I see it someday?"

Terry nodded, smiling for the first time since he got his arrow.

Soon afterwards, Antonio Garcia arrived, Ranger Gold. He and Lauren had met when they were kids and he too liked Lauren more than a friend. He was kind and caring, so he got Emily hooked. He played guitar, so he got Terry hooked. He loved to play around sometimes, so he had Mike hooked. And he had the heart of a true Samurai, so eventually, he got Kevin hooked too. His transition into the team was a little rough, but after proving himself many times, he eventually got accepted as an official Samurai Ranger. He also fished for them and for a living and was a master of the grill, and he also made the best seafood in town.

On one of these rare days off that they got, Emily decided to take Lauren shopping. She dragged her friend and leader to the mall, where they entered nearly every clothing store. In one store, Emily took a shirt that was mainly red and white and held it up by Lauren, observing.

"Hmm…" Emily's face twisted into a observing look. "I can't tell if it's you or not. Well, why don't you try it on and you can tell me if you like or not."

"It's red," Lauren pointed. "That alone is enough for me."

"Please, Lauren?" Emily put in her puppy face. Lauren could not handle that face, so she was forced to take the short and try it on.

It turned out that Lauren did like it, so she bought it, along with other amazing outfits that she liked, most of them, if not all, being the color red. Emily bought all yellow and white stuff. As they walked home with all their shopping backs, Emily turned to Lauren and said, "Thank you for coming with me, Lauren. I really enjoyed it. This the most fun I've had since Serena got sick."

Lauren knew she had just confessed something personal, so she quietly and politely responded, "You're welcome. And thank you, as well. I've never so much fun in my entire life."

"Oh?" Emily turned to her, curiously.

"I've always lived in complete solitude. It's nice to actually go out in public and do something with a friend that I could call my own," Lauren said, turning to smile at her. Emily happily smiled back.

It had been seven months since they had all gathered for the first time and today would have been Mia's birthday. Terry wanted to do something in her memory, but he had no idea what to do.

However, Emily had helped him by giving him ideas: tell the others stories about her, they all give her their own special messages, and then they celebrate that he was even alive.

And they all did that. Terry couldn't remember feeling so happy in his entire life.

About four months later, Emily got a letter from home. She took it, filled with complete happiness, but when she finished with the letter, her hazel eyes were filled to the brim with tears threatening to fall.

The letter read:

"Dear Emily,

If you're reading this, then I have already passed on. I was a rare case, Emmy, and I'm sorry we never got to say goodbye. I'm sorry that you had to live in my shadow all you life. But sometimes, I think you becoming the Yellow Ranger was a good thing. It helped you become what you wanted to be without being in my shadow. You could excel there. You would become the greatest Yellow Ranger to walk to planet.

I'm proud of you, Emmy. I always have been and always will be. Keep doing your best and one day, we'll see each other again. But remember, I love you dearly, little sister. I always will.

You are the Yellow Samurai Ranger, now and forever.

With all my Love,

Serena"

Lauren held Emily all night, the others in the same room with the two girls. That night, Emily realized what great friends she was lucky to have…

Lauren was also, surprisingly, affected by Serena's death. It made reality hit her. That reality reminded her that this was only temporary, until her older brother Jayden came and took his rightful place as the real Red Ranger.

But it felt so real.

~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~

A/N: Well? How'd I do? And yes, this is eventual Jemily and Lantonio. Chapter 2 is coming up soon!


	2. Chapter 2: Fight Fire With Fire

A/N: This is an AU, Alternate Universe, in case any of you didn't know, where Jayden is the oldest instead of Lauren and Serena dies, as does Mia. I'm not telling you anything else. You have to keep reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. Never have. Never will.

Note: Beware of a little Latonio and Jemily! Also, Memily is brother/sister type in this one. (Like always.)

I also realized that I forgot to mention Emily's surname in the previous chapter. So, it's here in this chapter.

~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~

I'll Take My Chances

Chapter Two: Fight Fire with Fire

He was here. This meant that she could finally go home, back to her loving mother's arms and let him take care of the rest. She would miss him, of course, but once this was over and he succeeded in performing the Sealing Symbol, they could see each other again.

It started out just this morning, when Antonio was secretly watching Lauren train. He saw her reaction to a letter that she received during this time. It read shock and disappointment. He was coming back. After the Gap Sensor went off once again, they all raced to the park where they met Fiera, a she-Nighlock. Fiera was after Lauren, it turned out, just like always. Lauren managed to take her out in Super mode, but she fell weak and had powered down.

Kevin had taken up the position as team leader, and while Lauren was on the ground, resting and watching the team, he had arrived. Before passing out, he congratulated her on a job well done.

Fiera had ripped the Claw-Armor Megazord apart, down to the last piece. Then, the Lion-zord had appeared and saved the day. After realizing that Lauren was still where they left her, they were too into their own thoughts that they didn't realize that the one in Lauren's zord needed serious help. He or she couldn't do this by themselves. So Emily disarmed Fiera first before letting the one piloting Lauren's zord take her out for good.

Now here they were, Lauren being supported by Kevin and Antonio. They had noticed that Emily wasn't walking beside them, so they had turned around to see what she was waiting for, or rather, _who_ she was waiting for. The one piloting the Lion-Zord has standing a few feet away, Emily's hazel eyes locked on the figure. Much to the others' surprise, it was a male and Red.

A male Red Ranger.

_Another_ Red Ranger…

Mike, Kevin, and Antonio all turned to Lauren, who they noticed was giving off a smile. It was small, but it was noticeable.

Emily felt herself take a sharp breath when the new Red Ranger de-morphed.

There stood a man, in his late-teens, with chestnut-brown hair, blue eyes, red short, blue jeans, and a black denim jacket. The expression on his face was stoic, like he could care less, but when he lay his eyes on Lauren, his cold, hard eyes relaxed and a faint smile appeared in his face.

"Who are you?" Antonio asked and Emily released a breath she hadn't realized that she was holding and spoke up first before the stranger could.

"But, Antonio, isn't it common courtesy to introduce oneself first?" the Yellow Ranger asked.

"No, no, that's alright," Lauren spoke up, as the stranger came closer to the group. When he stood right in front of Lauren, the latter said, "Everyone, this is my big brother, Jayden Shiba."

Said new Ranger replied with a silent, "Hello."

Emily finally snapped out of whatever daze she was in and said, "Hi, I am Emily Suzuki, the Yellow. It's a pleasure to meet you." Why did she feel so shy all of a sudden?

His eyes finally met her gaze. Jayden nodded and responded, "Likewise," and shook the hand she was holding out. So this was the one who disarmed that Nighlock for him.

_Man_, was she beautiful…and so kind, too. She was polite…but he couldn't help but keep their visual connection locked for a while longer.

Besides his sister, she was the only girl on the team. And the one in dark pink and black, Jayden assumed, was the Pink Ranger. But…in every generation, wasn't the Yellow and Pink Rangers always female? So why was this Pink Ranger a male?

Whatever. He'd ask later.

He heard the one in green clear his throat, making Jayden snap back into focus and back to what's more important.

They're at the Shiba House now, Antonio grilling his best seafood for Lauren's older brother, who Jii had revealed as the true Red Ranger, Lauren only being a stand-in while he mastered the Sealing Character. She and Jii were forced to keep her teammates in the dark about Jayden, as it was their father's plan. He did have two kids, the oldest would master the Seal while the youngest would pose as the Red Ranger to fool the Nighlock, until the oldest completely mastered the seal.

Lauren seemed to have a good enough reason for keeping this secret, so they all forgave her and welcomed Jayden into the group like he was family the whole time. As far as Emily knew, Lauren was not going anywhere. She would be staying at the Shiba House, where the others were.

Mike was currently saying something along the lines of "It's so great to have another _guy_ on the team." Here he snuck a playful smirk at Emily, who was the only female outside the Shiba House.

She knew Mike was playing, but she decided to play along anyways, sending a pout Mike's way. She immediately stopped when she heard the front door open and Emily looked in that direction.

"Oh, hey, Lauren," she greeted the older girl, with a big smile on her face. "Come and join us."

But the look Lauren sent Emily made the latter's smile fade, making the guys notice that something had just hit the Yellow Ranger. Hard.

Lauren was looking at the one who became like a little sister to her in such a way that was happy, apologetic, sad, and distant all at the same time.

"Sorry, Em, not today," the female Red replied. "Besides, I'm not hungry anyways." She walked over to Jayden and handed him a small-medium sized wooden box with the Ranger Emblem on the lid. "Here, Jay. These are the Red Power Disks and the Black Box. I know with these, you will succeed." Her older brother nodded.

After a short moment of silence, the two siblings hugged, painfully reminding Emily of her own late sister. With small tears running down her face now, Emily wished heavily that Serena had not said goodbye like that.

"Good luck, Lauren…" was all Jayden said at this point.

Mike suddenly knew what was going on. "Lauren…are you…leaving?"

Lauren, breaking away from her brother's embrace, only nodded.

Antonio spoke the dreaded question, the question everyone wanted to ask, but at the same time, did not want to ask. Antonio spoke the question Lauren feared to answer. "Why?"

"With me around, you guys can't get used to having Jayden as your leader," Lauren responded, softly yet firmly.

"That's not a good enough reason to just up and leave like this!" Mike exclaimed.

Emily knew how Mike felt. She didn't want Lauren to leave either. In fact, no one did, and judging by his eyes, Jayden didn't either.

But the more Emily thought about Lauren's reason for leaving, the more she understood it.

But Mike was still yelling.

"Mike!" Emily quietly called, causing the entire group to turn to her, as she did have that effect. She was usually the only one who could calm Mike and Antonio down. Lauren could sometimes, but only Emily could do it all the time. "Calm down. Actually, that's a very good reason to leave. Leave her alone."

"But what about you?!" Mike seemed to just loose it here. Emily was taken back a bit, extremely confused by what her brother figure was talking about. "Why aren't you saying anything? You're about to loose Lauren like you did Serena!"

"SHUT UP!" Emily yelled, clamping her hands straight to her head, shutting her eyes tightly. She tried desperately to clear the thoughts of Serena's letter from her mind, to cancel out all memories, good and bad, that she had with her sister, trying to block out that night when Lauren seemed to her like Serena, her sister in angel form, coming down to comfort her.

Emily tried to desperately to shake the truth from Mike's words.

She was going to loose Lauren…

"That's enough!" Emily immediately opened her eyes, which she noticed were crying, forming tears and letting them fall. Surprisingly, it was Terry.

But why him? Why choose now to start yelling?

Terry continued. "Mike, you know better than to bring that up to her, to speak so carelessly about that. You don't know what it's like to loose an older sibling whom you admire dearly! So shut your god-damned mouth!"

That's when Emily figured it out.

Terry knew what Emily was going through. Just like Emily had lost Serena, Terry had lost his older sister, Mia.

Emily felt a pair of hands on her shoulders and she glanced up and saw, through tear-filled eyes, Antonio gazing at her sympathetically. He had been there when she got Serena's letter. He had seen how devastated she was when she had realized what the letter was implying. He had been there to see her break down, which at that time, surprisingly, seemed like nothing compared to this breakdown.

Lauren stepped forward and embraced Emily in a hug. And Emily felt…warm, comfort, peacefulness. She heard Lauren whisper in her ear, "Stay strong, Emily. You embody the element of earth. You must be strong when no one else is able to." She said the next part a little louder as the female Red pulled away from the hug slightly. "Please, Em, take care of this team. It won't be easy with me leaving, I know that, but you guys _all_ have to follow Jayden now. Besides, it's like I'm leaving forever. I'll just be at my mom's house. When you guys succeed, like I know you will, then I can come back."

She gave Emily one last pat on the shoulder before turning to Terry, to whom she gave a kiss on the forehead. He had become so much like a little brother to her and she adored him so much. She wasn't Mia or Serena, but she was Terry and Emily's guardian during the time she, Lauren Shiba, led the team. She wouldn't be there for them, but they had Jayden to keep them steady. It was now his job to make sure they stayed happy. And she knew that he knew that, perfectly well. "Keep on playing, Guitar Man." Terry was forced to smile because of his pet name from her. "Don't ever stop."

She moved on to Mike, to whom she gave a tight hug. He hugged back, and it took him a while to let her go. She could swear there were tears in his eyes.

She moved on to Kevin. She placed a small, firm hand on his shoulder. "Look after them, Kevin. And I know you all will be as great a team as you were for me. Just don't ignore each other. Help each other out with even the smallest problem. You'll make sure of that for me, won't you, Kevin?" Smiling slightly, the said Blue Ranger nodded, causing Lauren to smile as well.

Now she turned to Antonio, whose arms were still around Emily's shoulders, comforting her in the best way he could. She stood on her toes and gave him a soft kiss to the cheek. "Don't worry, Tony. We'll see each other again." Antonio smiled at the nickname she gave him and used ever since they were kids.

Jayden remembered the promise he gave his sister. He _would_ take care of this team. Good or bad, he would be there, a solid rock for any of them to stand on. He would not fail neither his father nor his sister.

But they all could only watch helplessly as Lauren left the Shiba House, never to be seen again for a very long time.

~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~

A/N: Well? How'd I do? And yes, this is eventual Jemily and Lantonio. Chapter 2 is coming up soon!

I know Mia won't be in this, but Terry mentions her a lot, at least!


End file.
